Tim Stedman

Just moved to Inverness, are there any trials riders that regularly ride here?

Great vids! some absolutely awesome riding had by all I think! did anyone catch waynes step up the 7 footer, or wills crazy backwheel across all the tyres? Cant wait for next year! Tim.

Hey everyone, Heres a new vid I threw together recently, bit of Koxx days footage, bit of Bristol street, and a little bit of some natural near Bristol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXAeZP9Mtsg...re=channel_page Tim.

Nice vid, good to see someone riding a trials bike with some proper speed!

The location on the caliper actually means that the braking force tries to shift the wheel either forwards or backwards in the dropout. With the 'normal' design, depending on which way the braking force goes, it either move the hub in or out of the dropout. The change in position complete cured the issue for me. Being a little heavier than your average rider, the problem actually occured quite regularly with the standard setup. The new position actually makes it better for all uses, especially trials, as it can never shift the wheel.

Heres about the best picture I can find of the new one being ridden... The bike does bunnyhop, though its harder with my low stem setup. With a slightly higher or shorter stem its much easier. EDIT: latest video

Hey guys, firstly just to put your minds at rest, in the whole 5+ years ive been riding pashleys now, I have never once broken a mech hanger! they have bent once or twice, but never broken, its whatever is bolted to it that ends up broken instead! The frame wont be to everyones taste, especially the colour. I personally love it, I think its great that it stands out from the crowd! If you really dont like it though, colour is a pretty easy thing to change! The forks are the way they are for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, I found with hooks especially, the disc brake forces actually shift the wheel in the dropout. To fix it either meant changing the dropout completely, or just brazing the mount on the other side... so we took the latter option, and it works great. The wheel no longer shifts in the dropouts as a result of disk brake forces. Theres also obvious plus points, like the caliper being a bit more protected, and funky looks. Current setup on my compy bike: Pashley Proto frame, standard 4 bolt forks. Front King hub on 517, Complete Trialtech rear wheel, Maxxis 2.35 tyres front and rear, with rear dual ply. Trialtech cranks, custom steel bashguard and tensile freewheel. Rear mech as a tensioner. Magura brakes with brake pads that make more noise than I would like. Hope 110x8deg(ish) stem and Raceface Diabolus bars, old skool serfas grips. Think thats pretty much it... Hope thats all made sense! Tim.

Hey guys, There are several good reasons for having the disc mount in that place; First of all the caliper itself is far less vulnerable to being whacked. Riding natural it gets whacked whatever side its on, so having the dropout in the way helps in that respect. Secondly, when the mount was in the conventional place, the disc actually twists the wheel slightly in the dropouts when severe forces are put through it. Having it in this position actually stops the wheel moving whatever direction of force is put through the brake. Thirdly, it looks pretty funky when its built! If theres enough demand for these frames, then there may be some other things in the pipeline... Watch this space! Tim.

R.I.P. The great Hobbsie. A true trials personality, will be sadly missed.

Pashley have made a bunch of MHz forks with disc mounts, v mounts, or mag mounts. All you gotta do is give em a call! The spec for that old bike in the video was a little unorthodox, and totally different to the spec I had it most recently. I wouldnt recommend a lot of the components on thats bike as good trials component, unless you really are a serial bike basher! You're best off with just sticking to what you normally ride with, so you can get used to it properly.

So far as I remember... I had hope pro 2s, both front and rear. X lite phatso rear rim, and a skinny Fir rim on the front. Cranks and bars were both raceface diabolus. 90mm low rise hope stem. No idea what the headset is, but its a monster deep cup stainless thing. Pedals are DMR V12. Magura rear brake, and Magura Louise 2000 front disc (unless it was a V,in which case ive not got a clue... but with an XTR lever). Tyres were generally maxxis, and grips were ODI lizard skin lock ons. Thats as close to what I can remember that I used to run anyway.

Hey there. Would you like the spec of the old short pashley GHz, or the new long one?

Ok, Im sorry, I did rush a little when reading your post, and for that im sorry! You are right, that it would be ideal for a BBQ, and maybe that is possible. With a bit of planning on the part of the organisers, and aslong as there are people that come forward willing to do it, then it would be great! On the subject of where the competitions are held, and the natural/non natural thing... Some of the nationals this year have actually had man made sections to ride on. Even at some really great natural spots. The competitions are where they are bacause the venues have the best range of stuff to ride to test the rider's capabilities. It would be great for some comps to be organised somewhere more accessible, but if you think about it, for a national level competition, which is what I was talking about in the first place, the riders are going to have to travel from all over the place anyway. So more accessible for you is not necessarily more accessible for someone else. It would be ideal to hold comps in the middle of large towns/cities. But I suspect there are many reasons why its not happening as yet, which may or may not be possible to overcome. I wonder If maybe Fred or somebody with similar organisational experience could shed come light on this? I think the event that Jamie mentioned in swansea was pretty awesome. Maybe if more councils were approached, then some more like that could happen, and potentially lead to some urban trials comps. The idea about having some different styles of trials competition is a really good one. How about running a speed trial alongside a normal one? Kinda mixing one style up with another to make a it that much more of an event. There is always the possibility of these kinds of competition being run in an urban setting. If lots of people really wanted to get a series going, I guess theres no reason why it couldnt be worked out and organised.

Yes, thats true. You have to remember its a competition though. There is reason behind taking the competing seriously... The feeling of winning is awesome, and sometimes, its worth delaying that gratification of enjoyment for the period of the competition for greater enjoyment in the form of winning. At least thats the way I rationalise it when i've had a couple of bad sections. I do greatly enjoy the actual competition in general though! All you have to do is work out whether or not you can make it, make sure its properly planned in advance and you're sorted. Once thats sorted you can enter with confidence. A bit of organisation on your part is a small price to pay for an awesome day out riding, and the chance to meet some great people! It takes about three clicks to actually find out whats on, when and where! The effort I GUARANTEE is less than that of a 2 foot high sidehop!! What reason do you need to actually turn up and ride a comp? Would you turn up if there were prizes? How about if the results and a report were written up in mbuk or some other mag? There has to be some motivating factor for new people to turn up and ride, I understand that. But without knowing what people really want, or the riders asking for what they want, things wont change. What motivating factor would get you riding a comp? Tell me you've never seen a rider on street have some sort of outburst because they can't do something... Tantrums are few and far between thankfully, but some still put themselves under immense pressure, and cant handle it when things go the way of the pear. Whats wrong with Rad Dads, would you rather they were all boring?! I think its great to see the dads of the young riders getting involved. Without the parents getting involved trials wouldnt happen. You've got the dads of the riders of days gone by to be thankful for where trials is today, whether it be street or natural. If you really want another bike battle that badly, then organise one. You are allowed for creativity in competitions. Thats why everybody rides each obstacle differently. You always have a bunch of options of how to ride each obstacle, its just up to you to think of them! First of all, every comp is different, and sometimes the atmosphere isn't great. You can't always have comps go perfectly smoothly. More often than not though, the atmosphere is great! I find people are chatty and up for some banter aswell. If one bad experience is enough to put you off forever though, then maybe comps aren't for you. If you are persistent with them you will find you enjoy each one more than the next... In general. At most comps ive been to the observers do get thanked, and at some trials they even get a present of some form. The bigger the events are though, the more this kind of thing can be allowed for. Unfortunately the organisers of the event dont have the time to do their own bbq, as they are so over stretched already. Sometimes even getting a burger van to come isn't always that easy! If you don't like it, you can always prepare your own food in advance. Maybe you could save money, and have something far more suited to your trials nutritional needs! On a side note, Addingham was an excellent trial yesterday. Well done to all involved with it. It was definitely good to see a bit of a better turnout, and to see that most really enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next nationals at both hook woods, and shipley. They will both be awesome comps, at some of the vest venues in the country. Both kinda street rider friendly too! I Haven't got time to reply to everyone just yet, but I shall try and find some more time tomorrow! Tim.

Thats the spirit! I'm sure you probably wouldn't need to spend all that much money doing it. Just think about it all properly and plan it all well in advance. There are more than likely others near you, that ride comps, that could help you out with travel arrangements.

Dave, clearly you dislike BIU comps. Firstly, if you think that all the top boys take the girls approach to some obstacles, by not riding against them in the competitions surely thats an even more 'girly' approach. If you feel you have a better way, then come along and beat the top boys at there own game. I expect what youll find is that the top guys that take the 'girls approach' know something you clearly dont about the section, and are taking the best option to them to gain the least points. Competitions are as much about strategy as they are about the riding itself. I personally think your negative attitude towards the competition scene is most likely what stops you enjoying competitions. If you dont like them, dont go. Just plain bitching about them will get you nowhere. If you have any suggestions a to how they can be better, then voice them.

Theres no set standard of how good you need to be to ride comps. If you speak to the organisers beforehand about this, and have a good walk round the sections before the trial starts, you can actually choose what route you want to ride on the day. You will find that by riding competitions, your riding will dramatically improve after even the first one! I know its scary to jump in at the deep end, but unfotunately sometimes its best way to learn! A truly excellent idea. Well said. You're right there, and I agree that would suck! Thankfully you can choose what route you ride, whether you want to ride the sections, and how you ride them. Everybody attacks the sections differently, some better than others. Its up to you to choose how you ride each section, and thats really the point. The person who has the best ideas about how to ride the sections and executes them most efficiently wins. Most importantly, YOU have the the choice of what you ride, and how you ride it. Aslong as you stick to the route that you've decided on at the start. Some people are always going to take the easy option. I personally believe its best to ride the section without using the pedals or bashguard if possible, because its faster and easier. I wouldn't get caught up in how others ride their sections though, you are best off just concentrating on your own riding, improving it so you can beat the safety bashers! what would make you want to ride them? If people are willing to say what they want, then the organisers may be able to do something about it! oops :$ It did a good couple of years service before that. I should get just as long out of my new frame, but I wont be riding it into dirt walls this time! Its great to hear that there are people out there who do really enjoy club comps. I think for the most part, those who do ride comps always have a good time. There are always going to be those that dont like competing for whatever reason, but the vast majority of those that do ride them, or have tried them have enjoyed them.

Thanks Adam, You're definitely right right about the accessability thing, and it will always be an issue. Thankfully now though, with the invention on the internet, and with a bit of forward planning, it is much easier to find other riders that are going to the same place, or travel to somewhere that you can be picked up from. I expect with the aid of trials-forum, should a rider wish to get to a competition, all he needs to do is ask. More often than not there will be other riders going the same way, that can offer lifts or help with travel arrangements in some way. I agree with that second point whole heartedly, I can't think of many street riders, if any at all, that have ridden natural, and have not enjoyed it. Also, even if you dont find it fun, or dislike it, at least you can say you tried!

To all those who ride trials! First of all I want to ask you all to ask yourself a question. WHY do you ride you ride trials? Is it beacuse you simply want to have fun and socialise with friends, or is it that you like to push yourself in new and exciting ways, or, perhaps you enjoy the excitement of competition between friends to see whose best? I ask this because, at all of the national championship rounds this year that I have attended, whether BIU or Biketrial Federation, I have noticed that the turnout has been very low in comparison to years gone by. I remember a national trial at Back Cowm quarry, 2001 I think... Which so far as I remember was the highest turnout national trial I have ever been to. There must have been 100 or more competitors. I cannot remember seeing so many riders at a uk competition since. I remember the introduction of the shoe rule that year pretty much killed the scene dead, in an instant! I didn't understand the decision back then, and I still don't now, but thats a topic for another day. I know now though, that competitions of today seem much more relaxed about the rules of what you can and can't wear and ride. The only stuff you must wear is a helmet, which is self explanatory, and long trousers, which I also think to be reasonable. You dont have to wear gloves, or shoes with ankle protection, so you can pretty much ride in what you would wear on the street. The rules about what bike you ride are now also nicely relaxed, and pretty much anything goes. you dont need working gears anymore (which is a huge relief for me!). So you can ride comps with your bike setup as it would be on the street! I ask what is stopping you from riding these events? The sections in the last few rounds have been truly incredible! They have had mixes of both natural and street sections, and in each route a good mix of difficulty. Ranging from nice short easy sections all the way up to damn near impossible marathon sections! If there are sections you dont feel you can't do, or feel are too dangerous, you can just take the easy option and not ride it, take a 5 and move on to the next one. Nobody will mind! There is no pressure on anybody to ride any of the sections, the only pressure put on you is from yourself! If you are afraid that people are going to laugh at you when you fall off, then you are probably right! If you fall off in a funny way, you will get laughed at, if you fall off and actually hurt yourself however, there are always qualified first aiders around that can help, and very often some sort of ambulance service on site, so there really is nothing to worry about! There is always a great social atmosphere at competitons. You can very easily make new friends, and meet some really great new people along the way. There is always the chance to chat with people you may otherwise not normally get to meet on the street, such as Ben Savage, Ali C, and Nicky G. and many many other great names. There aren't many places you can easily and cheaply learn from some of the BEST trials riders in THE WORLD! I should imagine if you wanted a masterclass from these sorts of people they probably wouldn't come cheap! I wonder why, that for a few sundays a year, that a great many people take the decision to actually go and ride street, instead of riding a competition. These competions provide the very best in combining all aspects of riding. They test your ability to tap, gap and sidehop, along with your aerobic fitness to ride flat out for two minutes, and your stamina to last for the full 20 sections! Your mental strength will also get tested. There will be times when you're mentally and physically tired, and your will power and determination will be pushed far beyond what you thought possible! Over the course of this year, I have been pondering the issue of there being both the BIU, and Biketrial Federation national championships. This is an issue which for me actually put me off riding them. After riding in both different series though, I can attest to them both being very well run, with both sections and riders being of the highest standard! I feel despite whatever politics is going on, you could always just ride both! If both become well subscribed this can only be a good thing for the future of the sport, because when they do come together, what has been learned by each party can be contributed towards a much greater series of national rounds. Maybe thats a topic for another discussion though! I hope that by now you can see that whatever reason you do ride trials, you should still be able to enjoy and have a lot of fun at competions. I hope to see some of you street beasts testing your mettle against the sections sometime soon! I thank you all for your comments in advance. If you really dont want to ride competitions, and its not your thing, then thats fine! If you would like to ride them, but dont like something about them, then please be brutally honest! I should imagine the organisers would be only too happy to hear how their events can be improved! Tim Stedman.

These pads will only have worn down that fast if you have been dragging the brake, or you've been slipping the brake while you've been backhopping. There is no possible way that pads wering down can be a warranty issue! You just need to look at your bikertrial habits, and your setup and adjust it accordingly.

Truly shocking. I hope wherever he is now, hes gone to a better place. R.I.P. Beau.

Hi all. Only rode the sunday, but well worth the 6 A.M. start to make it. Excellent sections, despite the mud! Shame there wasnt the observers for the full 10 sections. Congrats to all the winners, some awesome rides happening on some pretty tough sections! Can't wait for the blackpool round, with a non-camel long Pashley GHz... See you all at the next one! Tim Stedman.

any idea what the music is anyone?

Title: Andrew Walker - Leeson vid 1 Music: Duration: 04:47 minutes Trials-Forum Video -> Full View • Download • Upload Summary